Vote totals:
Yes:
20%
No:
80%
Neutral:
0%
DEBATE: NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
Society needs a standing army ready to be called to action
We live in uncertain times and our troops are already stretched with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. National service supplements these forces and provides the country with the resources it needs to protect itself at very little cost.
National service is something which should only be introduced at times of national emergency, and no such state exists. Soldiers already suffer enough when they return from war, as those are people who’ve volunteered. The psychological damage from people forced into action could be immense.
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
National service binds society together
Putting people from different cultures in the forces together will help counter prejudice and racism. Moreover, everyone in the forces will get a clear sense of what it is to be British and will gain a respect for Britishness. This will foster nationhood, as was witnessed by national service in the 50s and can be seen from those countries who have national service now.
The army is already very multi-racial and yet black and Asian recruits often suffer very serious racism. Putting lots more teenagers from different cultures together is hardly going to make that situation any better. Also, there is a danger that national service could be used to celebrate white Britishness and anyone outside that could be made to feel most unwelcome. This was proved during the original National Service period when the Ministry of Defence had the unofficial policy of removing the names of those who sounded "foreign" from the lists of conscription: National Service photographs very, very rarely showed anyone black or Asian.
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
National service teaches young people valuable skills
Today’s children are often feral and feckless. Too many of them are without purpose or direction. National service would give them a sense of purpose and identity. It would teach them valuable skills, both vocational and social. It would allow the country to deal with social problems such as cleaning up the streets or helping old people. And it would help them develop a sense of responsibility to society, something that’s desperately needed. I think if national service is brought back it should only be young people who have no goals or no aspirations in life. It should be used as a form of control over young people who continually re-offend. Young people who have ASBOs and are not interested in contributing constructively to society should be made to do national service; then maybe we would not have as many problems as we do now.
Young people are in no way as bad as they are depicted in the media. The vast majority are good, decent, law-abiding members of society and punishing the many for the actions of the few is something no advanced society can be seen to do.
Any minute benefits which might be gained from getting young people to clean up graffiti will be undermined by the deep and abiding resentment they’ll feel while doing the job, especially if the innocent are being punished for the crimes of the guilty – what message does that send to them? The message that the legal system doesn’t work. This would undermine any confidence in the legal system that we have.
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
National service could be offset against student loans
Instead of a ‘gap’ year students could sign up for a year’s national service in return for free further education.
Young people might feel cornered into signing up for financial reasons when they otherwise wouldn’t. There should be no financial incentive for risking one’s life.
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
The military does not want conscription
If we can’t get a Sergeant Major to whip any recruit into shape then he’s not worthy of the title. Plus, the skills necessary to train an unwilling soldier will make it much easy for him to train someone who is willing.
Conscripted soldiers undermine the professionalism of today’s army. Conscripted soldiers care less about their job than volunteers and so will be worse soldiers, as proved in the Korea conflict. Instructors will waste valuable time trying to train people who are simply counting time until their conscription ends. Furthermore, national service created a firm animosity between professional soldiers and enlisted soldiers, and any such division is detrimental to the fighting strength of any combat unit.
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
It will cost a fortune and be difficult to implement
In fact, national service is a very cost-effective way to train young people to become better citizens whilst at the same time finding people to do the dirty jobs that no-one else wants. The cost of leaving children to steal and take drugs is immense and national service would be far cheaper.
The bureaucracy needed to implement national service is immense. We’d need banks and banks of people set-up just to ensure candidates cannot evade conscription – those who do will most likely come from middle-class backgrounds so again the poor will suffer. The costs for this will fall on the taxpayer and they are already overburdened.
NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RE-INTRODUCED
National service would lead to unfair treatment of conscientious objectors
People doing national service do not have to necessarily go to war or even join the army. The point is to do service to your country. They can be involved in humanitarian work, community service, teaching etc.
This happens in other European countries.
National Service denies rights to those who object to war for political or personal reasons, and these people would be unfairly targeted for not supporting their country or for not ‘pulling their weight’.
